EN POEMS 



-By 
GEORGE MORGAN BACON 




SALT IJ^JCl, CJTY 
IHF ARROW PR«SS 

191 :'■ 



SEVEN POEMS 

By 
GEORGE MORGAN BACON 




SALT LAKE CITY 

THE ARROW PRESS 

1912 






Copyright, 1912 
By Geo. M. Bacon 



/ 

C!.A33u405 



THE GATES OF DEATH 

Ye dreaded ports that mock us through our fears, 

Behind whose sombre leaves the Unknown lies, 

I smile at you and, turning, face those years 

That steeped with light and shade like dim ghosts rise. 

The joys and griefs of childhood once more thrill. 

And as their echoes fade and pass I taste 

The full, strong draught of Life whose essence, Will, 

Bade me fight on 'gainst Self and all that cloys. 

Zest of battle, knowledge of something done. 

Pain of loss and sorrow of dying hopes, 

Voices of children, touch of tiny hands. 

Long years with one beyond expression dear, 

These fill my eyes with happy tears that blind 

Visions of terror — and I fear you not. 

Oct. so, igii. 



TO MY WIFE 

Dear heart, as quiet evening shadows fall, 
My thoughts from troubling cease, and mem'ries ris<| 
Flooding my soul with light, and at their call, 
Yearning, my lonely spirit homeward flies. 
Visions there come of lovers' days and hours, 
Fragrant with bliss new-found,, when the deep thrill 
Of lip to lip and fingers twined waked powers 
All dormant when the pulse moved slow and still. 
And yet that time surcharged with joy is naught 
To fuller knowledge won through passing years 
As side by side with growing trust we fought 
The narrow aims of self whose fruit is tears. 
And learned the stern great truth that Love to gro^ 
Must feed on joys that out of serving flow. 

No'v. i6, igii. 



GOTTERDAMMERUNG 

Ye whose sole worship is kneeling 

And murm'ring of forms that are dead, 

Whose faith in darkness is reeling, 
Who falter where braver ones led : 

With grief must you see 'round you fall 
Beliefs that were started of eld, 

No more with firm hope can ye call 

On creeds which your forefathers held. 

As dust unto dust returneth. 

So doomed are those symbols of clay, 
No longer in them sojourneth 

The spirit man frightened away. 

Life passing on through each being 
As parent gives place to the child. 

That is the soul once thought fleeing 
From flesh where a moment it whiled. 



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Always, unconquered, within you 

Eternal there liveth the Light, 
And Truth, that ever shall aid you 

Though shrouded and dim to our sight. 

Sorrow and pain and the weeping 
Of eyes we would free from all tears, 

The death of hopes we were keeping 
To stifle our doubts and our fears, 

These be the steps leading upward. 
As out of the slough and the mire 

We bravely fight our way homeward 
To peace and the goal of desire. 

No^. 17, igii. 



THE MAN OF SORROWS 

Ye foolish ones, who, struggling, fight and turn 
Occasions to those selfish ends that cheat 
Your fondest hopes, and toiling seek to earn 
The vain rewards which gained, but mark defeat ; 
Ye clever ones, who garner in with pride 
A goodly store of knowledge heaped on high 
And boasting from that vantage ground deride 
All claims of spirit and the soul deny ; 
Mayhap before the night comes on ye'll see 
Athwart the face of Time the light still shed 
From one pure life and trembling know how He 
Of humble birth and lowly mien hath led 
The weary, heavy-laden'd sons of men 
To that sure peace 'till now beyond your ken. 

Dec. 4, iQii. 



L'ENVOI 

If Fate hath willed that we shall meet no more, 
If down the vista of the coming years 
Which stretch through twilight on to Lethe's shore 
I gaze with longing, and some vague dim fears 
Give subtle warning that the future days 
May ne'er be flooded with that light divine 
Which shining once makes now a leaden haze 
Like sunset at a stormy day's decline; 
Why then, dear love,, despite it all I give 
Unending thanks for those few hours most fair 
Which taught me what you were and bade me live 
For one brief space in bliss so wondrous rare 
That fairy idylls seem but rude, cheap dross 
Whose clumsy purpose is to point my loss. 

March 20, igi2. 



IN MEMORIAM 

Because awak'ning brings no thrill at dawn, 

Because the long grim horror called the night 

Is ever peopled by a grisly spawn 

Of fond and foolish hopes whose sudden blight 

Made cruel mock of all I held most dear: 

Because of this, and all the untold woe 

That lamed and halting speech cannot make clear, 

I cringe at reaping now what joy did sow. 

And yet, ah God, this mighty sum of pain 

Whose fearsome shadow blackens each day's sun 

Is but the petty measure of the gain 

Which my life drew from those long years with 

one 
Unto this heart so dear that human love 
Must own some source this poor cold earth above. 

Aug. IS, igi2 



INVOCATION TO LOVE 

Thou lambent flame, whose quick'ning touch doth stir 

The spirit slumb'ring in our mortal clay ; 

Eternal Essence of all things divine 

That lifts us from our lower selves on high 

Until the sound of angel's wings beats low 

Upon that inner ear all new attuned 

To music of the Ages crashing down 

In solemn splendor through the aisles of Time : — 

Those dear, sweet scenes that youth and maiden 

paint 
Upon the canvas broad that fancy spreads, 
Those pictures fair that gild the humblest hopes 
And make such utter mock of Time and Space, 
Are but the wanton magic of thy spell 
As faint at first unto the human heart 
Thy dawning rays on the horizon dim 
Foretell the coming of the perfect day. 



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Thy noontide fire doth dazzle with its light 

The eyes that prying seek to clearly read 

The mystic secret of each new young life, 

Or which, o'er daring,, fain would force their gaze 

Into the sacred shrine of Mother-love 

Where all immortal dwells the very soul 

Of all that hath been or that yet may be. 

And in the evening glow of sunset days 
Shed o'er the ancient path that little feet 
With tripping steps have worn into our hearts. 
We see the ling'ring ghosts of good deeds past 
Wending their quiet way to join the throng 
That through the aeons yet to come shall bear 
The grateful tributes to thy conquering might. 

Dec. I, igi2. 



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DEC 23 1912 



